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Chlidren's Depression Inventory (CDI)
by Maria Kovacs, Ph.D.
This popular self-report scale measures cognitive, affective, and behavioral signs of depression in school-age children and adolescents. Requiring only a first-grade reading level, the CDI has been extensively used in both clinical and research settings, with youngsters from 7 to 17 years of age.
The inventory includes 27 items, each composed of three choices. The child simply marks the choice that best describes his or her feelings or behavior over the past 2 weeks. This usually requires less than 15 minutes. Results can be scored and profiled in just 10 minutes more. If your time with the child is limited, you can use the CDI Short Form (CDI-S), which includes 10 items and gives you a general indication of depressive symptoms.
The test provides a Total Score plus five Factor Scores:
- Negative Mood
- Interpersonal Problems
- Ineffectiveness
- Anhedonia
- Negative Self-Esteem
Parent and teacher test forms provide additional perspectives on childhood depression. The parent form asks the mother or father to rate the child on 17 items dealing with home and family situations over the previous 2 weeks. The teacher form focuses instead on the child's academic, social, and emotional behavior in the classroom over the same period. Both forms yield a Total Score and scores for two subscales: Emotional Problems and Functional Problems.
The CDI discriminates children with major depressive or dysthymic disorders from normal students and from those with other psychiatric conditions. It is a good measure of symptom severity and is sensitive to changes in depression over time. Efficient and cost-effective, the CDI is ideal whenever you need to quickly screen children for depression and related problems.
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